


Fiery Firsts

by mothercetrion



Category: Mortal Kombat (Video Games), Mortal Kombat - All Media Types
Genre: First Kiss, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-19
Updated: 2019-05-19
Packaged: 2020-03-07 16:55:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,926
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18877324
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mothercetrion/pseuds/mothercetrion
Summary: The Fire Garden proves to be an excellent place for a first kiss.





	Fiery Firsts

“I cannot believe you prepared tea for me, Hanzo.”

“It is the least I can do. You have traveled a long way for… for a special occasion. It’s important to me that you are taken care of.”

Kuai Liang smiled as he and Hanzo settled down at a table outside the Shirai Ryu temple, next to one another on the same side. The other members were in the front of the garden at Hanzo’s request, before Kuai Liang’s arrival. He wanted complete privacy, no interruptions unless it was an emergency… and even then, he wanted a peaceful intrusion.

A pair of porcelain teacups sat in the middle of the table. Pre-boiled hot water in a kettle, all ingredients required already laid out for their use. Hanzo wanted things to go well.

Kuai Liang, dressed outside of his Grandmaster uniform and in a T-shirt and jeans, gestured for Hanzo to go first. “Your tea, your honor of the first cup.”

Hanzo adjusted the sleeve of his shirt with a faint nod, then he grabbed the kettle and prepared his tea. He too was dressed casually, a sleeved shirt and jeans. It was a comfortable outfit to wear for Kuai Liang's visit.

He and the Lin Kuei had begun seeing one another more frequently than ever.

Were they dating? No. They never discussed it. No one was asked out.

Hanzo didn’t _think_ they were dating, at least.

They had been on what he would consider dates. They sparred together, went out to a restaurant, even strolled through the Fire Garden together. But no one had been asked out romantically. They had not acted like a couple once. No hand holding, no poetic confessions, nothing.

Hanzo was certain that he liked the younger man. Very certain, in fact. Infatuation toward the man was an emotion that Hanzo knew that he felt. He deeply enjoyed Kuai Liang’s company in any type of setting. He found himself looking forward to every instance that they were together. They laughed together, had good times together; he would easily consider Kuai Liang a close friend. He had been teased by Johnny Cage for his behavior one evening, for the actor was surprisingly intuitive and caught on to things quickly, and he remembered that he punched Johnny in the shoulder after he accused him of “crushing hard on the popsicle.”

But he was. No doubt.

Hanzo knew that he wanted to pursue something more with the man. But he was rather cowardly with romance; he was the same with Harumi all those years before. Romance was never his forté, and that had remained the same throughout his entire life. He admitted he was rather blind to signs of being liked, but he was always certain of his own feelings and could act considering those. But reciprocation was something he failed to grasp, failed to recognize.

He had no idea if they were dating or not. He wanted to assume they were. It would make him very happy to date someone as wonderful as Kuai Liang. But he was, as Johnny Cage would put it, a weenie.

Hanzo finished preparing his tea and passed the kettle to Kuai Liang, who took it with quiet gratitude. “The Fire Garden looks magnificent,” he said as he poured. “The autumn brings out the leaves. Stunning.”

“Thank you.” Hanzo looked around the garden with a faint smile. “We try year-round to keep it maintained… This is the time of the year that the leaves truly stand out the most.”

“Indeed.” Kuai Liang prepared his tea quickly, wasting no time getting it ready so he could enjoy it. Hanzo watched his hands as he prepared the tea, trying to focus on something to keep his heart still.

Kuai Liang was more stunning than the garden could ever be.

The way he moved was always graceful. When they sparred, he was light on his feet and quick to block any attacks directed at him; he was a good partner to help Hanzo with his skills. Outside of sparring, he was endlessly kind to Hanzo, always offering aid in any way and by his side at the faintest sign of a need for assistance. He was never angry at Hanzo for anything and he was always level-headed. He was reliable, resourceful; he was smart and knew many things about a variety of topics and could answer almost any question Hanzo asked.

The way he smiled at Hanzo made him weak. His smiles were kind and never forced, natural to his face. He had a beautiful smile, in Hanzo’s eyes, both his small smiles and thrilled grins. His eyes sparkled, and his lips always pushed out a warm phrase of some kind shortly after, or a laugh.

Hanzo was smitten.

“...Hanzo?”

He was snapped back to reality at the sound of Kuai Liang’s voice. He looked to his face and saw his eyebrows furrowed in confusion, a faint frown on his face.

“Yes?”

“Are you alright?” Kuai Liang gestured to him with a hand. “You seemed zoned out.”

“Oh.” Hanzo nodded quickly, picking up his tea and taking a drink. He regretted it; the tea was still wildly hot. He attempted to hide his anguish from the younger man with another nod. “Yes, I am alright. Just thinking.”

Kuai Liang smiled lightly and nodded. He gently blew on his tea and took a sip, quickly taking a larger drink immediately after. “Mm… This is good, Hanzo. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. I always try to get good tea.” Hanzo blew on his own tea and took a sip, thankfully not burning himself that time.

The two began an idle conversation about a variety of different things. They talked of their clans, the upcoming autumn season, their allies, and even their favorite animals at one time. Kuai Liang admitted his long desire of getting a cat; he wasn’t sure how well off a cat would be at his temple. Hanzo assured him that with the right search, he could find one who would prosper in the cold and be a good companion.

Kuai Liang then asked Hanzo if he would like to go out to his temple for tea soon. It had been a while, and with Frost away for the next few weeks, things could occur in peace. Hanzo agreed, but he had questions deep down. Was it a date? Was it a platonic meeting? Was it an occasion that he would have to dress casually for? Would he just wear his uniform?

Would he ask these questions? No.

He did not know what he was so nervous about. It was Kuai Liang, one of his good friends. He would be more than happy to tell Hanzo these things; he would not hesitate to tell him what he wanted to know, and probably more beyond that.

“Hanzo.”

He looked Kuai Liang in the eye and saw a worried expression on his face. “You’ve zoned out again. Are you ill?” he asked. He went to raise a hand to feel his forehead, but it was swatted away.

“No.” Hanzo quickly shook his head and looked back down at his own tea. “No, not ill.”

“Talk to me. Tell me what’s on your mind.”

Hanzo looked back up to him to see that Kuai Liang’s full attention was on him. His tea was placed on the table and his entire body was turned towards him. “You’re nervous. Tell me why.”

Hanzo furrowed his own brows in thought. Kuai Liang catching on to his nerves was not good. He would want to help him; Hanzo had no choice but to tell him.

“Okay.” He let out a heavy sigh and put his tea down on the table, and he turned his body to face Kuai Liang, their knees touching. “I, um… I want to know if we’re… together,” he mumbled.

Kuai Liang tilted his head. “What?”

“I want to know if we’re together,” Hanzo repeated, louder, “because we have been on what I would consider dates. We have gone out several times, but no one has asked anyone out. It’s not _official_.”

He grabbed one of his own hands and began to fiddle with his fingers, maintaining eye contact with the younger man. “I know that I like you. I know that I like you a lot. I have not felt this way in many, many years. After all these years of doubt, all these years of being afraid of moving on from my past…”

He stopped a moment and let out a breath he didn’t even know he was holding. “You make me feel happiness that I have not felt in a long time.”

Kuai Liang’s eyebrows raised in surprise, and a smile filled his lips, but he did not speak. Hanzo continued, “and I do not know how you feel about me. I would like to think that you feel the same toward me, but I… I am blind. I am blinded by you. You make me feel things I have never felt, new and exciting things that I know I want to pursue. You…”

He slowed down a little, letting out a nervous chuckle and making Kuai Liang‘s smile grow. “You make my heart race. Being near you rejuvenates me in ways I cannot explain in words, but in… in actions.”

Hanzo forgot how to think at that moment. He let his heart lead him.

“I must… I must do this before my racing heart makes me change my mind.”

He reached forward two hands and gently grasped Kuai Liang’s cheeks, closing his eyes, and he pulled their faces together and kissed him.

He immediately regretted it. What was he thinking? What if Kuai Liang did not feel the same way and he was forcing himself upon him? He would never live with himself if Kuai Liang was unhappy in any way. How could he—

His thoughts ceased when he felt Kuai Liang begin to kiss him back.

The man’s lips were cold, but they were very soft and, he soon learned, very kissable. Kuai Liang’s hands moved to Hanzo’s back, pulling the man closer to him. Hanzo felt goosebumps form on his skin at the touch, and he kissed him deeper than before, his heart guiding him once again.

They kissed for what felt like an eternity. Kuai Liang was the first to pull away, and both men opened their eyes at the same time, making eye contact. Hanzo felt his cheeks burn with a blush, and he noticed Kuai Liang’s ears turning a faint pink.

“ _Wow_.” Kuai Liang let out a laugh as he grabbed Hanzo’s hands from his cheeks and held them in his lap. He seemed speechless. His mouth stayed open, he looked like he wanted to say something, but words did not come out. Hanzo felt himself blushing harder, and he tilted his head away from the man.

“I apologize for—”

“Don’t.”

Hanzo looked back to him with his eyes, and Kuai Liang was still smiling. “Do not apologize. I am… I am glad you did that.” He squeezed Hanzo’s hands. “I have wondered the same thing, to be honest.”

“Really?”

“Of course.” Kuai Liang let out a light laugh. “I feel the same way about you, Hanzo. Those outings we took, I would consider those dates. That…” He grinned. “That _amazing_ kiss was confirmation for me if it is for you.”

Hanzo found himself smiling too. “Are we together, Kuai Liang?”

“We are together, Hanzo.”

The two shared a second kiss in celebration, and Hanzo felt his heart soar.


End file.
